I’m a student living in Japan and I went to Fukuoka this weekend for a trip. At the Pokemon Center the cashier asked to see my passport for some reason, and I didn’t have it with me so I showed them my residence card. I’m really confused about this because I’ve been living here for a couple months now and I’ve never been asked this before.
The only thing I can think of is that I asked to pay with credit card, but again I’ve never been asked before. Also the price was only about ¥5000.
Any ideas?
9 comments
I guess they assumed you were a tourist (they can get things tax free in some shops if they show their passport).
Maybe they thought you were trying to buy it tax free?
If you are a tourist it’s tax free if you show your passport they’ll then staple a receipt in it. If you shop at large stores you’ll encounter this.
You don’t have to pay value added tax if you show your passport. It happened to me when buying new glasses.
It’s a way for team rocket to steal your identity. If you are indicated in Pokèmon stealing crimes at any time in the future tell officer Jeny about this cashier. Good luck kid, always try to be the very best.
It seems inappropriate. There’s no reason why a cashier should have asked you for a passport or other ID unless, as others have noted, it was a duty free shop. From a legal standpoint, only the police and immigration officers can ask to see your immigration card. If someone asks for my ID because a transaction requires it I always show them my drivers license.
Tourists get a lotta perks! Tax free shopping. Heck I was in Nara a month ago, and an art museum kept asking for my passport (I’m a resident and only has my residence card) and finally they explained foreign tourists got in free. Let me free anyways lol
This happened to me in UNIQLO in my first week here. Guy asked for my passport and I was like.. sure? Thought it was some kind of ID business, rather – accidental tax fraud
They thought you were a tourist and tried to save you money by giving you tax free shopping. It’s a bit presumptuous of them but their heart was in the right place. You don’t need your passport to buy things, even in Fukuoka.